16-year-old Divyang Jiya created history, swam across the English Channel

16-year-old Divyang Jiya Rai of Mumbai has become the world's youngest and fastest female para swimmer to swim across the English Channel alone. She covered a distance of 34 km from Abbots Cliff in England to Pointe de la Courte-Dune in France in 17 hours and 25 minutes between 28 and 29 July. Despite suffering from 'autism spectrum disorder', Jiya is an international open-water para swimmer.

Jiya dedicated her achievement of crossing the English Channel to autism awareness. She is the daughter of Navy personnel Madan Rai serving in Mumbai. The Indian Navy and the Western Naval Command Headquarters in Mumbai have congratulated her. The autism spectrum is a neurological disorder. A person suffering from this has problems in talking, reading, writing, and socializing with others. Their brain works differently than other people.

Jiya has many achievements in swimming. In 2022, she swam across the Palk Strait from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in India. She set a world record by covering a distance of 29 kilometers in 13 hours and 10 minutes. She has won many international and national awards. These include the Prime Minister National Bal Puraskar. This is the highest award for citizens under the age of 18.

Jiya is on a mission to become the world's first and youngest para swimmer to swim across all seven oceans. She believes that if one is determined to do something big, then every obstacle can be overcome. Jiya has also won medals in the National and State Open Water Sea-Swimming Championships.